The present invention generally relates to methods and devices for converting two wheel motorcycles into three wheel motorcycles and in particular relates to an assembly for attaching the frame of a motorcycle to a two wheel axle.
Three wheel motorcycles or tricycles are becoming increasingly popular and there are numerous methods of connecting the frame of a two wheel motorcycle to a two wheel axle assembly in order to construct the three wheel motorcycle. Two examples of these methods may be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,884,717 and 5,499,689. Devices such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,717 fix the two wheel axle assembly to the motorcycle frame in a very rigid manner. When such a three wheel motorcycle makes a turn, there is no possibility of sideways movement of the rear axle relative to the frame. This arrangement results in a stiffer and less forgiving ride. U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,689 improves this situation by connecting the motorcycle frame to the axle assembly with joints which may pivot to some degree. While the device in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,689 operates well with some motorcycles, it is not as satisfactory with other motorcycles, such as many Harley Davidson models, which tend to experience more vibration.